Primary Care Trusts

Robert Neill
20. To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the proportion of primary care trusts that have fully implemented all National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines.

Dawn Primarolo
Performance in implementing National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) technology appraisals and clinical guidelines is included within the scope of the Healthcare Commission’s Annual Health Check. The 2006-07 annual health check self-assessments, which have been subject to targeted and random inspections by the Healthcare Commission, show that 89 per cent. of national health service organisations assess themselves as conforming with NICE's technology appraisal guidance. 90 per cent. of national health service trusts have assessed themselves as making excellent, good or fair progress towards implementing NICE's clinical guidelines.